(Updated Patch Schedule) On Thursday, July 29, 2010, at 00:00 EST (12:00 GMT+8), HKO will go off-line for about 4 hours for an update that will allow you to access multiple regions using one game client!

Your game client will automatically update itself when you run it, so you don’t have to do anything. If you haven’t installed the game yet, please head over to our download page and get our new 140MB unified playable installer.

Because the new game client lets you access servers that were previously separated, we had to make some adjustments. The most important thing to remember is that HKO now has Servers based on your preferred region, and on each Server there are Worlds. Your character is restricted to a single server, but can access all the worlds on that server. Play wherever suits you best!

Once you have logged into the game with your SanrioTown email and password, you will see a new server selection screen: choose a Server based on your location and then select a World based on your language (if applicable).

HKO now offers two servers:

International: for all players from all parts of the world (previously was called “Global”). This server offers three different Worlds for players depending on language: English, French, or German. More language options may be added in the future.

US & Canada: for players from USA & Canada (previously was called “North America”). This server has one World for English language players.

NOTE: characters are non-transferable between servers; your character exists only on the server where you created him/her. If you log in to the wrong server you will see the character creation screen instead of your character information. Simply exit and log in to the other server.

Hi everyone! It’s time for another update on the development of Hello Kitty Online. In our last developer diary we talked about some of the new features and content we are working on. This time, we would like to address specific concerns raised by players, and also to offer another sneak peek of what’s to come. We would like to thank players who have taken the time to send us their opinions!

To start, here are a few improvements based on the player feedback we’ve received.

● The targeting system has been modified. Pressing the Tab key will highlight the nearest monster through a star-shaped indicator. Once the monster is highlighted, you can left click the monster to select it, and then right click on it to engage.

● We have fixed the annoying bug that caused your character to stop walking if you move your mouse pointer over a monster.

● Level 4 and 8 farms will be available for purchase using Sanrio Loyalty Points across all servers. Loyalty Points can be earned simply by using SanrioTown’s free services such as email, blogs, and Dream Studio videos, which are also available in the game.

● The SanrioTown Game Center will be integrated into HKO and will allow players to earn Loyalty Points more easily – simply play your favorite mini-games and earn points without leaving HKO! A full list of services that generate Loyalty Points can be viewed here.

Here are some future plans relevant to the issues raised:

● Certain items will be rebalanced, so that stats and visuals will be relative to the item’s level and how it was acquired.

● We are looking into improving the User Interface by replacing numbers with more visual indicators.

● Special drops such as crafting guides and emoticons will be added into the game through a unique system that is in the pipeline. More details on that as we move closer to release.

● As previously announced, the Guild system will be undergoing a full revamp, scheduled for this summer. The Friends List will soon follow.

● We realize that the game client size and download time can be an issue for new players, so we are addressing this as well in April. Keep your eyes peeled for news about our new improved client!

● Game content will be expanded with the addition of Tokyo and surroundings, targeted for release this summer. We will be showing you sneak previews of the new zone in the weeks to come.

● Meanwhile, the special event Hello Kitty Online Arcade Superstars is just about to be announced, we hope to see you there!

The team has discussed some other concerns raised by players, and we would like to briefly address them as well.

Crafting
The crafting system is designed to encourage players to use or trade the items they make, instead of making a profit by selling them back to the NPC. This is working as intended. However, we will be adding unique crafting guides that require special materials and that produce items that will give players higher returns when sold to merchants. We are also looking into other improvements to the crafting system.

Drop rates
Resource drop rates are designed to diversify gameplay and the completion of quests, but we are looking into the earlier quests and evaluating the cases in which drop rates can be improved.

Pet cards are very rare and special drops by design. Aside from pet cards currently in the Item Mall, we will be working on providing other means for players to obtain pets, however keep in mind that finding a pet card is meant to be a very rare and lucky occurrence.

As always, we are also looking into a variety of other issues and we will keep you posted.

To all those who have shared their thoughts, we appreciate your dedication to the improvement of the game. We are always happy to receive your feedback and we value your input. If you should have any more comments about the game in general, feel free to contact us at onlinegame@hellokitty.com. We would love to hear from you as we work on making HKO as enjoyable as possible for everyone.

Hello everyone! We would once again like to share with you what the HKO team has been working on. First off, we’d like to talk about a few improvements and fixes that were added to the game recently but not properly documented.

● The Group System has been introduced, with a preview of Group quests during Hello Kitty’s Valentine’s Day Surprise

Our goal in the next months is to expand end game potential, player communication, and guild functionality. These are ongoing projects, so expect to hear more! Here are some of the additions we will be making to the game in the coming months.
Head items will get fixed
Our next update will address a problem with certain head items, which change your character’s hairstyle back to default when worn. After the patch, items worn on the head will no longer cause this problem. You can finally show off your hairstyle AND head gear at the same time, making it easier for players to customize their characters.

Chat channel enhancements
We are working on letting players switch chat channels by typing them right into the chat box before the message they want to send. For example, to send a message to the map channel you will type /m .

In order to improve communication for players, especially new players, we will add a new chat channel dedicated to in-game help. More details on that later this month!
SanrioTown Game Center integration
The SanrioTown Game Center is a section on SanrioTown.com in which members can play dozens of minigames and earn Loyalty Points. Check out the link if you haven’t already seen the SanrioTown Game Center! These minigames will be integrated into Hello Kitty Online, so players will be able to play them inside HKO. This will make it easier to earn Loyalty Points for use in the Item Mall. Expect this feature to be available later in March, along with a special event to celebrate the launch.
Content updates!
There are several major content updates lined up for the next months. For those who simply cannot wait, here is a quick rundown of things you can look forward to:

Hi everyone, it’s me again, Abby, writing on behalf of the Hello Kitty Online development team for our Developer Diary. I have a few updates and news to share with you.

Monster Stats/Difficulty

We’re working carefully on adjusting game difficulty in Hello Kitty Online, and I’d like to explain some changes we have already made to balance monster difficulty and rewards. First, we have improved the stat bonuses on quest reward items in Sanrio Harbour. Secondly, merchant NPCs in all major cities except Sanrio Harbour now offer more powerful items for sale. These improved quest rewards and merchant items should make it easier to face monsters in the wilderness of Sanrio Land.

Also, we’ve started working on some substantial adjustments to the stats themselves that will make things easier for everyone. It’ll take some time, but we’ll keep you updated on our progress!

Hello Kitty’s 35th Birthday

We’d also like to take this time to thank you all for celebrating Hello Kitty’s 35th Birthday with us. We were thrilled to receive your feedback, and we’re glad that you all enjoyed the event! We can’t wait to see you in our next celebration, which is…

The HKO In-game Christmas Event

You can feel it in the air — the holidays are just around the corner! We’re working on another special event for our players across all regions. We know you’re expecting it, and we don’t intend to let you down! Get your holiday spirit ready for:

Two special new quest chains featuring our very own Santa and a quirky new character who’s about to cause some big trouble

The Emote Game will be back

More cute holiday-themed items for you to collect

A final event similar to the 35th Birthday party, with a surprise twist!

A hearty hello from the Hello Kitty Online Team! First off, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Abby Reyes, known to many of you as the fry-loving GM Abby, and I currently work on content, events, and community design within the development team.

I’m here on a special mission, because we’re starting something new here on the HKO blog. I, on behalf of the development team, will be posting regular updates on what’s happening in the game, what we’ve been up to, and some insights on upcoming releases. We will also be addressing concerns that come to our attention from our community. From this day forth, this section shall be known as the HKO Developer’s Diary!

With that said, I’d like to start off with a letter to our players. The past few weeks have been insightful to us, as we’ve gathered some feedback and suggestions about recent updates to the game, and are amazed at the urgency by which certain concerns were raised. This, above everything, tells us how devoted our players are to Hello Kitty Online.

I’m pleased to say that we have been working behind the scenes to improve certain aspects of the game.

Economy
For starters, we’ve been crunching numbers like no tomorrow to address issues with the economy. Ultimately, we want players to feel rewarded for their hard work in the game, and the colorful charts tell us that we’re heading in the right direction. Expect these changes to come out very soon.

Monster Stats and Targeting
We’ve also been looking into our monster stats, and we would like to assure everyone that we are hard at work to balance the system out. Also, we are exploring ways to lessen frustration with the targeting system. We can’t let those critters get away with their mischief – we’re on your side!

Rest assured that we will be rolling these updates out as soon as possible, and we hope you enjoy the upcoming changes. We love hearing from you, and we hope that this strengthens the bond we have with you, our dear players. Thank you all for your continued support and for playing Hello Kitty Online. Until next time!